A literature and database review and several experiments were carried out because of the perturbing increase and exponential spreading of a major mistake thought scientific publications. Up to October 2015, more than 136 reports ensured that mushrooms contain flavonoids. However, 91% of the publications used an unspecific colorimetric method that was developed to quantify them in plants. However, no sequences encoding chalcone synthase or chalcone isomerase (key enzymes involved in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway) were found in genomic databases even in completely sequenced mushrooms indicating that they do not have the enzymes needed for their production. Fruiting bodies obtained from substrates containing onion wastes and mycelia grown on media supplemented with specific flavonoids showed no flavonoid content after HPLC DAD/MS determinations indicating that they were also unable of absorbing them.

This review was supported by AGL2010-21537 and AGL2014-56211-R projects financed by the national R + D program from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and ALIBIRD-C M S2009/AGR-1469 regional program from the Community of Madrid (Spain).

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